Amusement game apparatus having illuminating means simulating dropping of a bomb from an airplane upon a boat



Jan. ll, 1949. w- H, BURDlCK 2,458,892

AMUSEMENT GAME APPARATUS HAVING ILLUMINATING MEANS SIMULATING DROPPING OF A BOMB FROM AN AIRPLANE UPON A BOAT Filed 001". 26, 1945 rPiieiiied Jen. 11, 1949 LUMINATINGMEANS smo-LA PING OF A BOMB UPON A BOAT ING DROP-i FRoM AN AmPnANE Appiication ctober G, 194g, etiaii o. IQB

iiii'iid few iepreseniiiig pifies, thee-15J et iieing' te iiiiii eiie ei the, iig'iiis iiefieeei eh eiiiii 'with eiie ci ine iieiiis eiieiieeei iiiidere eri tiene, te repieseiii trie eriipiiig ef one 6i trie ieeiiite iii iiie Shit. These eieetiie iigiiis eiiiiiged iieiieeiii the eiieeqiie 'iieid teeia iiatfie cifiaatej n visible only foi illuiiat In this eonrieeti'eii, id iiidieeies the ebiet ef i aii amusement eppefius, rhie eaiiii'it may B of any aj'pijove consti'uctioa and icliids'ha parie; eriiid bear@ i i. ieriiea if opeeiiie iiie'iteiai anl haviiighpiiited or'A othevis associated tlire- With parallel rows of charactes I 2 I3 ar'1dNI By virtue of the opaque chaljaotefisticofvthe eld boaic II, these characters I2,-, I3 and I 4 aie. irivisible until illuminated by: electric bulbs",4 heifeinaiter referred to, @diran-gegibeneaththe characters, Withinthe cabinet IIL Inthe present' instance, the characters ofthe row 1 2 represent ships; the characters ci the row Ir'preseht' bombe; andthe eha-'acfiels" of the M eplzesel'b airplanes. The object is te simulate thedoppingl of a b emb by the plane nipn the ship event that a iightof one. of the ships is paired eiiie-i'ne e eentiiei ififi se eiaeiiieii ie be inev'ea i'it fitat' vv'it'i the crid'iict ilte' i This iiiiiing siifiieii ie ef ivei-iekriewii een-struction iisii eeiifieeiicii with timing the; operation of genie eiiiazreits of trie character to which this iiiveii-ti iate's. Th contact arm S6 is adapted to be gnoved into erigementv with the Contact plate 3c lctiiatin of an eratirig member 31 which,l if d'siid; may' b in tlie form of a' coin slide of any ainpio'ved construction', "such for exi'iiiipi-e eis niet iiiiisiated in Patent No. l,9ll)8;380,l dated May 9, 1933;

This contact arm 36 is connected to the positive side of the source o'f iectic energy 2| by a, condoctor 42. f

The othr Side 'of tHe @dil 32 of thStep-up relay 28 Vis connected by ai cbndutoi 41 to sid 48 of a' cani actuated sti/itch unit 49,l the other sid 501 of this switch u'xiit 49 being gcurideclx es ai* 5|..

Ai reset: relay` of any approved con-struction for resetting the Contact armv 25 back` to its o'igiiail pitiori is. indicated at 2T. One vside' of the coil of the reset relay 2.1 is' connected by a conductor 39 to the last or ninth, contact button', of the buttons '23, saici ninth contact button being; indi; cate@ at 23?.' The othei" side of this coil is connciedgbyv a' ci'iii'xifliii-iito''lr` IQ the'- coductoi i9?,

A match is intiicatd atA 52, il this motor has 'e 53 connectei to th conductor 3.3 and;r the' oiposite' side 54' to the tifoundA 5I'. 0n the arma- 34 to open a circuit between the motor 52 and the step-up relay 28, which relay- -2:8.becomes energized when the switch unit749jris``csed by the. star cam 56. Each time this relay `28 .is ener-- gized, the ratchet wheel 29 will be advanced one step and thereby move the contact nger 25 into ,l contact with the buttons 23, l"and as this Contact finger 25 moves int-o engagement with these con-4 tact buttons 23, the circuit between the source of electric energy 2i and the electric bulbs I5 will be completed and will successively illuminate the electric bulbs, and when illuminated they will make visible the ships I2.`

The common sides 5l of each ofthe electric bulbs I6 arrangedunder the bombfcharacters I3, are connected to contact buttons 58 of a step-4Y up switch 59. This step-up switch 59 is substantially similar to the step-up switch 24 and includes a contact iinger 6D operated by a ratchet 6I rotated step by step by a detent 62 carried by a solenoid 63 of an electric step-up relay 64 including an electromagnetic coil 65. One side of this coil 65 is connected by a conductor 66 tothe conductor 33. The opposite kside of the coil is connected bya conductor 67 to a switch element 66 of a push button. switch 69 havinga nger button i6. The opposite switch element II ci' this push button switch 69 is connected by a conductor 'i2 to the conductor 41. IThis push button'switchy may be of any approved construction andasshown in Fig. l, is located upon the cabinet Ill within convenient reach of the player. The object of this push button switchv 69 Vis to complete the circuit to the step-up relay 6 so that the arm Si()4 will be advanced one step each time the step-up relay 64 is operated5- and when the arm 68 successively contacts the contact buttons 58 the electric Ybulbs I6will be successively illuminated under conditions hereinafter eX- plained and consequently the bomb characters I3'wil1 likewise become successively visible.

The opposite common sides 4I of the bulbs I6 are connected to a ground 42.

The common sides I3 of the electric bulbs Il are connected by conductors 'I4to contact buttons I5 of a step-up switch 16. The opposite common sides of these bulbs 1| 'l are connected by a conductor 46 to the positive side'of the source of electric energy 2l. i i. ,Y

The step-up switch T6 includes a contact nger 'I'I, which is connected in series with the contact'v iinger 66, by a conductor 'Il'. This contact ingr 'I'I is controlled by the operation of two step-up' relays '16 and Sil. Each of these relays includes the ratchet and solenoid operated detent 8| andl 82, respectively. The electromagnetic coil'83 of the step-up relay 'I9 is connected by a conductor 84 to the conductor 56, which in turn, is con"l nected, as before stated, to. theA ccnductori33.-

The opposite side of the electromagnetic coil B3 is connected'through the medium of a conductor 88 to one side 65 of a switch element S6 of a push button operated switch 8l..4 -The opposite side 85- of this switch structure S6L 'is connected bya conductor 66T tothe conductor'li'l. One side of the electromagnetic element 56 of the' step-up relay 8B is connected to a contact-finger SI 'of a` cam switch 9i', the cam 92 of which is operated by the motor 52 and is of a design whereby to make and break the switch 9| more often in one cycle of rotation than is accomplished by the cam 56 during the same cycle of rotation; The switch structure 92 is part of the structure of the push button switch 61. The other contact finger 93 is connected by a conductor 93 to one side of the switch structure 92,. the opposite side 94 being connected by a conductor 95 to the conductor 69.

This push button switch 81, like the push button switch 69, is located upon the cabinet within convenient reach of the operator. The push butt-on switch 81 is of a well-known structure, and in the present instance the switch structure 3S is normally closed to condition the circuit of the electromagnetic element 83, and this circuit is broken when the push button switch 8'I is manipulated to condition the switch structure 92 to complete the circuit through the electromagnetic element 96 of the step-up relay 86.

Asbefore stated, the object of the game apparatus is to test the skill of the player in maintaining a vertical row of electric bulbs I5, I6 and il' illuminated as these bulbs are successively illuminated by the operation of their respective step-up switches 24, 56 and T6.

The game is played as follows: v

By manipulation of the operating member 3l, the time switch will be operated to bring the contact finger 36 into engagement with the contact plate'34, and until this time switch (which is of a well-known and standard construction) has spent itsforce,- the contact finger 36 will be maintained in vengagement with the plate 34. This engage- `ment between the nger 36 and the contact plate 34 sets up the circuit to the motor 52, which when energized will rotate thev cams 56 and 92. Rotation of the cam 56 will open and close the switch structure 49. When this switch structure 49 is closed,A the relay coil 32` of the step-up switch 28 becomes energized and rotates the ratchet 29 one step, which brings the contact finger 25jinto engagement with the first of the contact buttons 23. When this takes place, the rst of the electric bulbs I5 will become illuminated and consequently will make visible the iirst of the ships I2.

The engagement between the contact linger 36 andthe Vcontact plate 34 will also condition the circuit for the step-up relay 64 and in order to complete the circuit to this relay 64, it is necessary that the operator manipulate the push button switch 69 to maintain the switch thereof in closed position, at which time the relay 64 will be energized and will step up the contact inger 6B for 'engagement with the irst of the contact buttons 58 of the step-up switch 59, and this step-up actionlwill continue as long as the push button' switch 69 is maintained in closed position.

Engagement between the contact nger 36 and the contact plate 34 likewise conditions the electric circuit for the electromagnetic coils 83 and 9 0; and yas the push button switch structure 86 is normally closed, the electric circuit to the step As the contact fingers 60 and II are connected in seriesrthroughlconductor 'I'I whenever these? fingers-'engage corresponding contact buttons 58 and 'I5-'the electriclbulbs I6 and II connected to these buttons will be illuminated provi'dr-zdthe player maintains the push button switch 'III closed.

As the object of the game is to have all three lights move down the eld board upon the same horizontal line, it may require that the finger 'I1 advance ahead of the fingers and 60. If this condition prevails, the operator then manipulates the push button switch 81 to break the circuit of the switch structure 86 and to close the circuit of the switch structure 92, whereupon the circuit to the electromagnetic relay 83 will be deenergized and that to the relay 90 energized whereupon the step-up relay 80 will eiect a faster step-up movement of the contact linger 10. This condition is maintained until the illuminated bulb of the electric bulbs I'I becomes in alignment on a horizontal line with the illumination of the illuminated electric bulbs I5 and I6, at which time the operator breaks the circuit through the switch structure 92 and conditions the circuit to energize the electromagnetic coil 83. Upon alignment of the illuminated bulbs of the bulbs I5 and I'I the operator closes the push button switch 'I0 to effect illumination of that bulb of the bulbs I6 in line with the illuminated bulbs I5 and II, to indicate a hit by a bomb.

Thus, it will be apparent that the skill employed in the operation of this game is the players concentration on maintaining the illuminated light bulbs of the lelectric bulbs I5, I6 and I'I in registration on the same horizontal line.

AI have not shown or described in detail the construction of the various instrumentalities employed in the circuit which accomplish the foregoing purpose, but have shown these parts merely schematically. It is understood that any standard equipment may be employed in the circuit and that the circuit illustrated to accomplish the objects of the invention is a form of circuit illustrated for a clear understanding of the invention and its operation. If desired, a suitable score counter of any standard construction now in use in connection with bagatelle or other like games may be incorporated in the circuit .to tally the number of times the operator has maintained the proper registration of the illuminated light bulbs on the same horizontal line.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into e'ect, this is capable of variation and .modication without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to .be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus ydescribed. my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An amusement game in which there is a play board having parallel rows of illuminating elements associated therewith, comprising means for illuminating said elements, said means including an electric circuit having therein a motor-operated step-up switch controlling the successive illumination of the elements of one of said rows of elements, a push-button-controlled step-up switch for controlling successive illumination of the elements of another row of said elements, a step-up switch including a slow and fast operated step-up relay for controlling successive illumination of the elements of still another row of said elements, and a vpush-buttonoperated switch controlling alternate operation of said step-up relay.

2. An amusement game in which there is a f play board having thereon illuminating elements arranged in groups, means for illuminating said elements, said means including an electric circuit for said elements having therein a motor-operated step-up switch controlling the successive illumination of the elements of one of said groups, a push button controlled step-up switch for controlling successive illumination of the elements of another group of said elements, a step-up switch including a slow and fast operated stepup relay for controlling successive illumination -of the elements of the remaining group of said groups of elements, a push-button-operated switch controlling altern-ate operation of said step-up relay, and characters simulating difierent objects on said play board in registration with said illuminating elements.

3. An amusement game in which there is a play board having a plurality of illuminating elements associated therewith and arranged in groups, means for illuminating said elements, said means including an electric circiut for Said elements and having therein a motor-operated stepup switch controlling the successive illumination of the elements of one group of said elements, a step-up switch including a slow and fast operated step-up relay for controlling successive illumination of the elements of the other group of said elements, a push-button-operated switch controlling alternate operation of said step-up relay, and characters simulating different objects on said play board in registration with and adapted to be illuminated .by said illuminating elements.

WILLIAM I-I, BURDICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the nie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,803,064 Karnes Apr. 28, 1931 1,976,082 Meyer Oct. 9, 1934 1,999,810 Hershey Apr. 30, 1935 2,019,126 Fey Oct. 29, 1935 2,118,037 Fischer May 24, 1938 2,266,932 Williams Dec. 23, 1941 

